Treating the Vive Tracker as a Vive controller

We just got our vive trackers yesterday and we tried to play around with them. While doing so we realized we could not use them with anything in lue of a normal controller. We couldn't even use it for mixed reality off the bat.

Hopefully I am just missing something. Is there a way to make a game think the tracker is just another controller (and create an external offset config because of the different coordinate system?)?

The idea here is we create a gun controller for another game or multiple games (that we didn't develop, have access to game code, or want to update). Examples "Space Pirate Trainer", "Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades", "Hover Junkers". A consumer buys our general or specific use gun for the game(s) and sets a config file for the game (for the offset in coordinates) then the tracking puck shows up as a normal controller and they can play the game.

Right now I tried using the puck as a hand controller for a game we are making and it doesn't show up as the second controller even when all the controller are turned off. I know you can use the sdk for unity to call for the Tracked_Object not Tracked_Controller, in unity in a game you made, but it makes this tracker only work for games that spend the time to add the code to their games. And takes any control away from a user or home maker who may have a 3D printer and make something on their own for their favorite game.

Any insight would be helpful. I read through the "HTC Vive Tracker Developer Guidelines_v1.3.pdf" and my scenario was not in there. Look foreword to the reply. Also is there any word on doing mixed reality with the tracker by default?

Re: Treating the Vive Tracker as a Vive controller

We had a tool that allowed you to change the tracker roll (between controller and tracker) but have since deprecated the tool to prevent confusion on the consumer side. I accidentally deleted the thread when I intended to only lock it. If you still need the tool, I can send it to you in a PM.

Re: Treating the Vive Tracker as a Vive controller

David,

I would appreciate greatly access to the tool... or better yet, a link to the github page. (hint, hint, hint...) . Remember when you open source stuff, you get better customer / use case feedback as well as free services from developers like myself.

Re: Treating the Vive Tracker as a Vive controller

Hint, hint, hint: VIU is open source on github at http://github.com/ViveSoftware and you'll notice plenty of additional Tracker projects available there as well. There's no need to treat a Vive Tracker as a Vive Controller and I recommend that you don't as there's no need to.

Re: Treating the Vive Tracker as a Vive controller

@ahmad.farooq, please confirm the version of the tool that you're using. What is the behavior that you're experiencing? Does the behavior produce any error codes or does it simply refuse to revert to your desired role?

The 1.0 version that @robawesome linked works with newer firmwares and has additional recovery tools. Please give that a shot if you're on an older branch.